Paradigm shift in plant growth control

• Published in: Current opinion in plant biology Vol. 25; pp. 107 - 114
• Main Author: Körner, Christian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2015
• Subjects: biomass; carbon; Carbon - metabolism; carbon dioxide; Carbon Dioxide - metabolism; cell growth; Cold Temperature; Droughts; Environment; leaves; Photosynthesis; Plant Development; plant growth; plant growth control; Plant Leaves - growth & development; Plant Leaves - metabolism; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Plants - metabolism; Stress, Physiological; temperature; turgor
• ISSN: 1369-5266; 1879-0356
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2015.05.003

•Source activity (photosynthesis) depends on sink activity (tissue growth).•Environmental stress constrains sink activity before it affects source activity.•Under drought, low temperature or nutrient limitation, growth controls photosynthesis.•Priority in models needs to shift from source activity to sink activity. For plants to grow they need resources and appropriate conditions that these resources are converted into biomass. While acknowledging the importance of co-drivers, the classical view is still that carbon, that is, photosynthetic CO2 uptake, ranks above any other drivers of plant growth. Hence, theory and modelling of growth traditionally is carbon centric. Here, I suggest that this view is not reflecting reality, but emerged from the availability of methods and process understanding at leaf level. In most cases, poorly understood processes of tissue formation and cell growth are governing carbon demand, and thus, CO2 uptake. Carbon can only be converted into biomass to the extent chemical elements other than carbon, temperature or cell turgor permit.